Two Gentlemen of Honor

by Clara Willoughby

  He did his level best to hide something of great consequence but it was clear to Elizabeth that he had no intention of telling her what it was. She admired him for that; he looked upon Adrian Spencer as a brother and as such, he felt compelled to protect Lord Spencer’s privacy. Elizabeth would do the same for Jane without question.

  Before Elizabeth could say anything, Darcy shocked her further when he began to make tea for them to drink with their cake. She never would have guessed that a refined gentleman with such a large estate and a kitchen full of help would know how to prepare tea for himself. Her surprise at every new discovery about Mr. Darcy was turning into an unexpected affection for the gentleman and it was something she never planned.

  Elizabeth and Darcy remained in the kitchen for some time, drinking tea and talking about Westerhall, the gardens, and all of the rooms she had yet to see. After the second cup of tea, Elizabeth gave herself over to a yawn, and it felt as if it went on forever. When she finally ceased yawning, Mr. Darcy was already setting the tea aside for washing.

  “Shall I escort you back to your room, Miss Bennet? I promise I shall be the perfect gentleman and leave you safely at your door.”

  Elizabeth did not even hesitate.

  “I would be most grateful, Mr. Darcy.”

  The walk from the kitchen to her room was shorter than she expected, and Elizabeth was almost embarrassed at how close she was each time she passed the stairs. Instead of admitting to her mistake, she chose instead to thank Darcy when they got to her door.

  “Thank you for safe passage through this most puzzling house, Mr. Darcy. I may not have ever gone to sleep had I not discovered you in the library.”

  Mr. Darcy gave her a polite nod.

  “I was most happy to assist you and am happy to report that I am very tired, indeed. I hope you can sleep as well. Good night, Miss Bennet. May you have pleasant dreams until the morning.”

  The gentleman disappeared down the hall before Elizabeth could respond, though she was a bit grateful, as she did not know what to say to him. She felt an unexpected knot inside of her when he left and it was a feeling she did not anticipate, a feeling she did not even experience with Adrian. What could it possibly mean? And how was it that she enjoyed time alone with a man who not so long ago was so deeply unkind to her?

  All Elizabeth could do was hold on to the hope that her sister could offer her guidance in the morning. As it was, she did not believe she could find the answers on her own.

  Chapter 9

  The rest of their days at Westerhall passed by in a cloud of long walks through the gardens, delicious food whenever they wanted it, and evenings spent talking by the fire in the elegant sitting room. Elizabeth believed there was a new warmth that spread through the house with each day that Adrian and Rebecca lived in their family home. If Westerhall had once been a place of sadness, it was now one of just as much joy, if not more. When the time came to leave, Elizabeth was saddened at the thought of going home, and Jane agreed.

  As the footmen put their things into the coach, Elizabeth turned to Lord Spencer and Mr. Darcy to offer her thanks for the lovely visit. When she saw them, however, she felt a sort of sickness in her chest that made it difficult to speak. She was afraid that if she spoke, she might cry, though she had no idea why. She did believe that she knew which man was the cause of this unexpected emotion and she was not terribly happy about it.

  “Lord Spencer, Miss Spencer, my sister and I would very much like to thank you for hospitality. It was most generous,” Jane said when it was clear that Elizabeth had lost her ability to speak. “We hope we can return the favor and have you both at Longbourn in the future.”

  Elizabeth almost laughed at the sheer absurdity of what her sister had just said. The idea that gentleman as fine and proper as Adrian and Mr. Darcy would ever stay somewhere as humble as Longbourn.

  “I shall do just that, Miss Jane! Longbourn is a beautiful home and I would be delighted to stay there,” Lord Spencer said with vigor.

  Darcy appeared a bit piqued for a moment, as if he had been surprised by the sound of a gunshot, then nodded his head.

  “Yes, of course. That would be pleasant,” he agreed with some hesitance.

  After a few more farewells among the new friends, Jane entered the coach, and Elizabeth followed her, but was prevented from doing so when Lord Spencer reached out and took her hand.

  “Miss Bennet, might I come visit you this week? I hoped we could have a moment to speak,” he said.

  Elizabeth felt the warmth of emotion in her cheeks, but this time, she felt nervous. She enjoyed visiting with Adrian but she felt something unexpected when she was in the company of Mr. Darcy. She was experiencing so many new feelings that she suddenly wished to get back to Longbourn, where she might find some measure of peace. In order to hurry their departure, Elizabeth squeezed Adrian’s hand.

  “Please do! I will look forward to it,” she said as she stepped up into the coach. A moment later, they were on their way back to Longbourn. Elizabeth was grateful for the brief trip, for it meant that Jane did not have an opportunity to begin a conversation about Darcy or Lord Spencer, as she was not ready to discuss her feelings. When they arrived back at Longbourn, Elizabeth was happy to be home, and very much anxious for the quiet of her room.

  Unfortunately, that was not to be.

  “Elizabeth! Jane! What has kept you all this time? I expected you to return hours ago! How could you stay away at such a moment as this? Have you no idea what you have missed? It is wonderful, Jane! Simply wonderful!”

  Mrs. Bennet was even more frantic than usual, rushing about the home as if she had caught her skirts in the fire. Lydia, Kitty, and Mary were all hiding in the kitchen, a wisp of each of them visible as they peeped around the door. It took time, but Mr. Bennet was at last able to convince his wife to cease her shouting and explain to their elder daughters why she was in such a state.

  “Goodness, Mrs. Bennet, take a seat and tell Elizabeth and Jane about the invitation before I am forced to do it. And if I do it, you know as well as I that I will not bother with all of your fancy nonsense.”

  Mrs. Bennet appeared as if she were preparing for a fight, but instead, she chose to do as her husband requested. Once she and her daughters were sitting in front of the fire, their mother at last told them of her news.

  “Jane, Elizabeth, I have the most wonderful news! We have all been invited to a ball at Netherfield! It is happening, Jane. The good Mr. Bingley is going to ask for your hand in marriage! And soon, Lord Spencer will marry Lizzy. Oh, Mr. Bennet! We shall have to two most well married daughters in all of England.”

  Elizabeth could see how overjoyed Jane was at the news, but she believed her mother was being too hasty in her expectation that Elizabeth was to be married. In spite of their lovely visit at Westerhall, Lord Spencer had done nothing that led her to believe he wished to court her. In fact, she felt that he saw her as little more than a very good friend. It would not have been her preference when they first met, but she was beginning to believe he was correct.

  “Mama, I do not think that Lord Spencer is…”

  Mrs. Bennet narrowed her eyes.

  “Do not tell me that you did anything to chase off Lord Adrian Spencer. It is because of his interest in you that your father has sent a letter to your cousin, Mr. William Collins, asking him to delay his visit. A visit, Elizabeth, in which he intended to ask your hand. If you do not marry Mr. Collins, we will lose Longbourn upon your father’s passing. Because of that, I would like you to consider how your decisions affect all of us, Lizzy.”

  Elizabeth did not know what to say and was grateful when her father stepped forward. Until he spoke, that is.

  “Come now, Mrs. Bennet. What kind of gentleman would not wish to marry our beautiful daughter? I am sure Lord Spencer will ask for her hand before Christmas. Then my lovely wife can stop all her fretting, can she not?”

  Elizabeth’s mother did not wait long to tell Mr. Bennet what she tho
ught about his speech. With a delicate step and an accomplished slip out the door, Elizabeth escaped to the solitude of her room. She could still hear the argument continuing downstairs, but now, she at least had avoided being a part of it any further. Now, she could sit at her desk and ponder all that had happened.

  If there was anything to be grateful for now, it was that her cousin Collins had been put off. Elizabeth wished it was not too much to hope the delay was indefinite. She did not know anything about this Collins man before her mother and father mentioned him a little while ago, which struck her as odd if they intended to make a match. If they continued to believe that Adrian was interested in her, so be it. It was a small sacrifice if kept any marriage proposals at bay.

  Though, if forced to discuss the subject of romance, she could be persuaded to admit that something unusual was transpiring between Mr. Darcy and herself. That first night in Westerhall, walking by his side, was a memory that lingered clearly in her memory. She recalled every detail, each in turn providing a bit more affection for Darcy.

  Elizabeth was not sure how she should proceed, or if she should speak to Mr. Darcy before he spoke to her. She wished to share everything that had transpired that night with her sister, in truth with anyone, but she knew their time together was a secret she must keep to herself. Instead, she lay down on her bed, and listened to her family below, as they argued about Elizabeth’s future without consulting her about her feelings.

  Perhaps a nap was just what she needed.

  Chapter 10

  It was a beautiful day in Meryton and the market was filled with people shopping for fabric, meats, and other odds and ends. The Bennet sisters walked together down the street with Lord Adrian Spencer by Elizabeth’s side, eliciting quite a stir among passersby. Whenever he stopped to look at trinket or a particularly nice silk shirt, a crowd would form around them to see what the gentleman was buying…

  And who was at his side as he stopped at each of the shops to visit with the shopkeepers.

  Elizabeth could not recall having ever drawn so much attention while in town and she suspected her sisters were not used to it either. However, each was behaving in a decidedly different manner. With every step she took, Jane was clearly hoping for Mr. Bingley to appear, but thus far, he remained as mysterious as ever. Mary had long ago departed for the music shop, where she would likely remain until their time in Meryton was done. Meanwhile, Kitty and Lydia availed themselves of the officers who loitered near the entrance to town.

  “Elizabeth,” Jane asked, though her eyes remained firmly on their younger sisters. “Should we collect the girls and request that they stay by our sides? I do not believe that mama or papa would approve of their rather forward behavior with those soldiers.”

  It had been raining for a week prior and not a soul in Hertfordshire had left their homes for fear of washing away. As soon as the clouds cleared that morning, Adrian arrived at Longbourn, to Elizabeth’s great surprise, and suggested they all go into town together to celebrate the unexpected sunshine. Mrs. Bennet did not even hesitate before instructing her daughters to put on their cloaks. She also quickly informed her husband that he would be helping her while she inspected a tree she believed to be decayed. It took all of Elizabeth’s great strength not laugh as her mother offered up her feeble excuse to push their daughter together with Lord Spencer for a day. Mrs. Bennet had little interest in trees and even less interest in their care.

  And so it was that Lord Adrian Spencer walked with the Bennet sisters to market, the younger ones teasing him with silly questions while the older marveled at his kind spirit. Yet, Elizabeth could not help but notice that he seemed far away, as if his mind were somewhere else entirely. She wished to ask him of what he was thinking, but history told her that to do so would only increase his periods of silence.

  “Elizabeth? Please?” Jane renewed her request that they gather the younger girls before they embarrassed themselves. She knew it was a fair worry, so she nodded her ascent.

  “Lord Spencer, would you be so kind as to join us as we tear our sisters away from those officers?” Elizabeth asked. Adrian smiled in return.

  “Of course, Miss Elizabeth. I would be happy to help protect your sisters’ virtue. You may lead the way.”

  As they crossed the road to where Lydia and Kitty were giggling loudly enough for the whole of Meryton to hear, Elizabeth was aware that just as many eyes were on Lord Spencer. Everywhere he went, heads turned to watch him pass. Now that he was strolling through the town with the Bennet sisters, there would be endless talk about which sister he was courting, or why he was spending so many an hour in the company of such a humble family.

  They were near Kitty and Lydia when, from just behind a collection of boxes piled up by the apothecary, a soldier approached Lord Spencer. He was handsome in a different way than Adrian or Mr. Darcy, but he was appealing just the same. Elizabeth looked to Lord Spencer for an introduction to the man, but when she saw the expression upon his face, she thought she might not ask him anything at all.

  After a moment of protracted silence, the stranger took another step forward.

  “Spencer, I am surprised to see you here, old friend. And with such lovely ladies, no less. Do you intend to introduce me?”

  There was a protracted moment of silence while the two men watched each other intently; Lord Spencer with an expression of suspicion, and the stranger one of utter amusement. Trouble had just begun to settle in the air when Adrian at last spoke.

  “Yes, of course, Wickham. I would be pleased to introduce you. These four are the Bennet sisters, with one absent and in the music shop. Ladies, may I introduce you George Wickham, another former friend from school. He is an officer in the militia and it would appear, presently stationed here in Meryton. I say, Wickham, does Darcy know you are here? Because I feel quite certain he would have mentioned it.”

  Elizabeth’s suspicions were proved accurate as soon as Lord Spencer performed the introductions. Lydia and Kitty may have been too silly and naïve to understand such things but there was no question in Elizabeth’s mind that there was a story to be told here. She only wondered if Adrian would tell it, or keep it a secret as he did so many other things. She was still surveying Wickham for signs of wickedness when he held out his hand to her.

  “Miss Bennet, it is my truest pleasure to meet you,” he said, waiting for her to accept his greeting. Elizabeth hesitated, for she could see that Lord Spencer was watching, his lips curled into a proper bit of anger. She did not wish to take the hand of the man, but all eyes were upon her, and if she refused the hand of an officer, her mother would know of it before they returned to Longbourn. In the end, she took the hand of the officer, and did her utmost to look away from the crimson rising in Adrian’s neck.

  At last, the moment passed, and Wickham took his turn with each of the Bennet sisters’ hands, Lord Spencer becoming a bit more enraged each time. Elizabeth believed she would be most grateful when they could leave town and the officers and return to the safety of their home. She even believed she saw her chance to request their departure when, most suddenly, Fitzwilliam Darcy appeared beside them on his most formidable horse. Elizabeth was forced to shield her eyes from the sun when she looked up at him, which, for a moment, made it impossible for her to see his face.

  Until a cloud passed over the sun, of course. Then Elizabeth saw that Mr. Darcy appeared just as vexed as Lord Spencer.

  “Darcy, I hardly expected to see you in the market today,” Wickham said, a sneer marking his face.

  “Yes, well, I did not expect to see you in Meryton, so close to Netherfield. And Westerhall. In fact, I believe we agreed that you would stay clear of Hertfordshire generally, Wickham.”

  The officer gave no indication that he knew what Mr. Darcy meant. In fact, it appeared as if he were trying to appear innocent when his mischievous quality made that quite impossible.

  “I have no control over where I am stationed, Darcy. Should I have written you to let you know
I was arriving?”

  Both Lord Spencer and Mr. Darcy appeared as if they were going to speak out of turn, and in a way that would be improper in front of the Bennet sisters. Elizabeth saw Darcy close his eyes to calm himself before he spoke again.

  “Spencer, I think I feel a bit of a chill in the air. Perhaps you should escort the ladies hope lest you all be caught in a storm?”

  “A storm?” Lydia argued. “There is hardly a cloud in the sky!”

  Jane narrowed her eyes at her younger sister, who understood she was meant to be quiet before their mama was told of her behavior when they returned home.

  “Better we go than risk getting ill, no? Come along everyone,” Jane said as she gathered Kitty and Lydia close. “We will go fetch Mary and meet you at the entrance to town.”

  Elizabeth lingered behind with Lord Spencer to see if she could hear any further disagreements between the gentleman, but instead, they all parted haughtily. She was a bit surprised to see both Darcy and Adrian acting like boys, but more than that, she was curious why this Wickham would cause such strange behavior in them.

  As Lord Spencer and Elizabeth made their way to the entrance of the market, he stopped for a moment and took Elizabeth’s hand to stop her as well. She shied away at his gesture, afraid someone would notice, but the market goers all seemed quite focused on Mr. Darcy and his beautiful horse now.

  “Miss Bennet… Elizabeth, I must ask of you a favor. And no matter how strange it seems, you must say yes. In fact, I swear on my honor as a gentleman that I will never ask you for anything else for the rest of our days. Do you now swear to say yes to me?”

  Elizabeth rarely made promises and certainly not the kind she was forced to say yes to before hearing a word of them. But there was a desperation in Adrian’s eyes that gave her hope she would not regret her own decision now.